Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto
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For a cheesy, gluten free rice side dish, make some lemon risotto with parmesan and fresh basil. This lemon risotto recipe is easy to make!
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For a cheesy, gluten free side dish, make this lemon risotto with parmesan and fresh basil. Don’t let the thought of making this decadent, cheesy, creamy rice dish intimidate you, because our risotto recipe is easy to make!
If you enjoy rice but want something with a creamier texture, risotto is a go-to dish! This one has light lemony flavor, and the fresh basil and parmesan transform it into something extra special.
reasons to make our lemon risotto
- It’s lighter and lower in fat than traditional risotto recipes. Many restaurants add a splash of cream and/or a pat of butter at the end of the cook time to add more flavor to the risotto. You don’t have to use fat to create a creamy, cheesy risotto.
- The ingredient list is short and simple. Just 10 pantry staples – there are no fancy, expensive ingredients needed!
- It pairs well with many different proteins – It’s perfect as a lighter side for chicken recipes like crockpot whole chicken, chicken cacciatore, and healthy chicken piccata. If pork chops, crockpot pot roast, or honey garlic shrimp are on your menu, make this easy healthy rice dish – it’s incredible with those proteins as well!
Healthy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto was the first type of risotto that I ever made, but I wanted to try something that used lots of citrus and herb (my favorite flavor combo!) so I came up with the recipe for this Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto!
Ingredients for healthy risotto:
- olive oil
- onions & garlic – make sure to caramelize until they’re translucent for maximum
- arborio rice – you can use regular white rice, but it won’t taste the same
- chicken stock – use low or no salt to keep this a low sodium recipe
- parmesan cheese – we like to use freshly grated parmesan cheese, it melts better!
- lemon zest
- lemon juice
- salt, pepper
- fresh basil
A citrus juicer and citrus zester will also be helpful to have!
lemon risotto recipe variations
Rice: If you want to make this recipe using a short grain brown rice instead of white, you certainly can. Just be aware that brown rice requires more liquid and more time to cook than white. Arborio rice is the best rice for risotto!
Broth: Broth and stock are the same thing! You can use any broth or stock interchangeably. Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth.
Add Veggies! Soft vegetables like roasted peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms would be delicious additions to this recipe. If you’re a veggie lover, you might want to make this vegetable risotto!
Basil: You can substitute basil for your favorite herb. Parsley, sage or oregano will all be delicious! I highly recommend using fresh herbs!
Pumpkin: If you’re looking for other healthy risotto recipes – try this Healthy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto
Gluten free risotto – The rice and all of the other ingredients in parmesan basil risotto recipe are generally considered to be gluten free. Just be sure to check ingredient labels to prevent cross contamination during processing.
How to Make Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto
- Heat olive oil in large sauté pan then add onions and garlic to olive oil. Sauté until translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in uncooked rice and chicken broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until the rice starts to absorb the liquid.
- After rice has simmered, stir in cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir until rice has absorbed all liquid and is creamy. Before serving stir in basil and enjoy!
What makes this risotto healthy?
- Less fat – traditional risotto is made with heavy cream, butter, and lots of cheese. I used less cheese and cooked the risotto low and slow in broth to achieve a rich texture without a ton of fat
- Minimal ingredients– This recipe only has 10 ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your fridge or pantry!
Serving suggestions:
Risotto is a really versatile side dish, so it goes with almost any protein! Our favorite way to serve it is with Baked Chicken Cutlets and Roasted Carrots (pictured above)!
It’s also great with Crockpot Turkey Breast or Crockpot Whole Chicken with Roasted Brussels Sprouts!
As we mentioned earlier, this side dish pairs really well with most meat proteins. If you want to serve a plant-based dinner, the cheesy risotto is delicious with legumes like beans and lentils, either stirred in or served on the side.
tips for making lemon risotto
- Cook over low heat. Be sure to cook the risotto low and slow – this allows the starches in the rice to thicken the dish and make a creamy cheese risotto. Using high heat will prevent this from happening!
- Use a shallow, wide pan. The wider cooking surface area helps the rice absorb the cooking liquid more quickly.
- Stir continuously. Make sure to stir the rice constantly during cooking to avoid it from burning on the bottom of the pot.
- Be sure the broth is warm, and add it gradually. Again, so that the starches in the rice can be released properly into the broth, you want to be sure to only add about 1/2 cup of stock at a time. Wait for the rice to absorb one batch of liquid before adding the next.
- Use high quality cheese, and grate it fresh. Please avoid using parmesan from the green plastic canister. Use a block of real parmesan cheese, and grate it yourself for the best cheese risotto. 🙂
risotto recipe FAQ
With cheese, basil, and fresh citrus, we think our lemon risotto has a wonderful flavor! If you want to give the dish even more flavor, you could add some minced shallot, or substitute shallot for the onion.
Restaurants do a lot of par cooking of ingredients and dishes that normally take quite a while to prepare. By preparing risotto recipe just up to the point where cheese and dairy products are typically added, it can be chilled and kept in a refrigerator until it’s needed.
Storing Risotto:
Refrigerator: This recipe will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Risotto is a dish that truly is best eaten immediately after it is made. Although it will stay fresh for a few days in a covered container in the fridge, it’s difficult to reheat without it becoming gummy or sticky.
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing this risotto, but I don’t think it would work well. We don’t recommend it.
Reheating: If you have leftovers of lemon parmesan risotto, you can reheat them in a pan on the stove over medium heat. If the consistency is very thick, you can try to thin it out a bit by adding a couple of tablespoons of stock or water.
Other healthy side dishes you might like:
Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onions finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic minced (about 3 cloves)
- 1 cup arborio rice dry
- 2.5 cups chicken stock low or no salt
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest zest of 1-2 lemons
- 1/4 cup lemon juice juice of 1-2 lemons
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large sauté pan. Add in onions and garlic to olive oil. Sauté until translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add in uncooked rice and chicken broth. Stir together, cover and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until the rice starts to absorb the liquid.
- After rice has simmered, stir in cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir until rice has absorbed all liquid and is creamy.
- Before serving stir in basil and enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute basil for your favorite herb. Parsley, sage or oregano will all be delicious! I highly recommend using fresh herbs!
I’m getting ready to prepare this yummy risotto recipe. Im adding marinated artichoke hearts.
Sounds great. I have made many risotto recipes but not with lemon and basil. I will try this. I have to say I am surprised you have never made this with Arborio. Arborio is the classic rice used for risotto. It results in a much creamier dish than regular rice and therefore you can less cheese if you want to cut the fat.
The idea of making risotto always scared me because I was always told it takes forever to make, but not this recipe. It’s so easy and tasty. Just the right amount of creamy deliciousness. I always make it when we have halibut. It’s the perfect side.
Thank you so much, Jessica! I love to hear that! Risotto doesn’t have to be difficult 🙂
I had never tried risotto before due to its connotation with a LONG cooking time, but holy jamoly this recipe was amazing! Made it as written and it came out creamy and delicious.
So glad you liked it Kaitlin!
How does one, bring to boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 10 minutes on high? So we don’t reduce the temp? Confused.
Hi Natalie, I’m not sure what the confusion is here. Add in rice, 2 cups of broth, wine and bring to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the rice starts to absorb the liquid. Let me know if you have any questions!
Great flavour combo. I changed the method slightly. I added the rice and gently sautéed until grains were translucent . I then added wine to deglaze the pan before adding stock. I also added roasted pine nuts at the end.
So glad you liked it, Ann! That sounds absolutely delicious – love the addition of roasted pine nuts!
Delicious! I prefer to make it with the white wine but my younger children refuse to eat it when I do. Instead, I use vegetable stock (a couple of good quality stock cubes are fine) until the rice is nearly ready then switch to using almond milk (because my eldest daughter is a vegan). This has proved really popular with the whole family. The little ones & I add parmesan at the end but my eldest just adds a bit more lemon zest, juice & pepper. Win, win!!!
So glad you like it, Isabel!! Love the tweaks you make to the recipe + that you can make it work for your whole family!!
Looking forward to trying this with couscous for a quicker version!
I’m sure that would be delicious, Nancy!
Found this looking for dinner ideas for my family…so happy I found this! Great recipe.
So glad you liked it, Alyssa!!
Haven’t had risotto in some time. This recipe might change that. Thanks!
So glad to hear it, Matt! I hope you love it!
Oh HECK yes I want!! Pinning right now. This sounds SO amazing with that light taste of lemon and fresh basil. You are killing it!
Thanks friend!! The lemon and basil combo is ahhhh-mazing.
I love a good risotto, so I’m glad you found a way to cook it more quickly!
Thanks, Christina! Me too 🙂
This looks delicious elizabeth!
Thank you so much, Nicole!
I love risotto! this looks delicious and i love the mushroom idea for next time.
Thanks Anne, I can’t wait to try it with mushrooms!
Oh yum! This would be so yummy on a hot summer day. Lemon is so refreshing, and I have a ton of basil already!
Exactly!! It’s perfect for the warmer weather!
This looks so delicious! I love Basil & I can’t wait to tty this risotto!!!
Thanks, Angela! Basil is my favorite herb to cook with 🙂
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious!
Thank you so much, Kait!
Yummy! I will definitely be making this!
Thanks, Casey! Hope you like it 🙂
Lemon basil is such a delicious flavor combo. Very spring-y!
Totally agree! It’s so fresh and yummy 🙂
I love risotto and haven’t made it in a while yum!
Then you should try this one!
thanks for the recipe! that sounds delicious! and perfect for summer!
Thanks, Glenneth!
This sounds simply delicious and refreshing! I’ve made lemon risotto with asparagus or peas but never thought to just add basil, and I love basil!
Oooh I bet that is yummy with peas or asparagus! I’ll have to try this
So simple, but I’m sure delicious! I will definitely be trying this!
Yes! Super delicious! 🙂
This looks so fresh and delicious – and easy too!
We loveee risotto and make it with a whole lot of different flavours and adds ins, however, Jesse’s favourite has to be my boscaiola risotto with ham, mushrooms and scallions!
Thank you! That sounds amazing! I’m going to try this recipe with mushrooms next time – I feel like that would be fantastic!
Looks and sounds fantastic! I’ve never made risotto either! This would be lovely with long grain brown rice!
Thanks, Cassie! It’s very simple to make. I bet it would be delicious with long grain brown rice!